Nigerian Govt places eight States including FCT on high alert as Ebola spread

Nigerian Govt places eight States including FCT on high alert as Ebola spread

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has placed Lagos, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Kano, Rivers and several other states on high alert over the possible importation of the deadly Bundibugyo strain of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) into the country.

The agency, in a public health advisory issued on Thursday to health commissioners in all 36 states and the FCT, warned that Nigeria’s risk of importing the virus has now been classified as “HIGH” following the worsening outbreak in parts of the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda.

According to the NCDC, the development has triggered an urgent nationwide preparedness response aimed at strengthening surveillance systems, isolation facilities, laboratory readiness and infection prevention measures across the country.

The advisory followed the World Health Organisation’s declaration of the outbreak as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), a move the NCDC said signalled the need for immediate readiness before any suspected case emerges in Nigeria.

Although no Ebola case has been confirmed in the country, the agency said a joint Dynamic Risk Assessment conducted with partners after the WHO declaration showed that Nigeria remains vulnerable because of regional migration, international travel, porous land borders and extensive trade routes linking West and Central Africa.

The NCDC disclosed that 1,077 suspected cases and 247 deaths had already been recorded in the affected countries, with a fatality rate of 24.6 per cent.

“The overall risk of importation of the disease into Nigeria has been assessed as HIGH due to increasing ongoing regional transmission, international travel, regional population movement, major airports, seaports, porous land borders, informal crossings and trade routes,” the agency stated.

It explained that states were grouped into preparedness categories based on exposure risks and likelihood of virus importation.

States classified as high-risk include Lagos, FCT, Rivers, Kano, Enugu, Borno, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Taraba and Adamawa because of their international airports, seaports, major commercial corridors and border activities.

The NCDC directed all states to immediately activate comprehensive preparedness measures to ensure rapid detection and containment of any suspected infection.

“The immediate objective of our national preparedness and readiness efforts is to ensure that every State and the FCT can reasonably detect, contain and respond swiftly to any suspected case while protecting health workers and sustaining essential health services,” the advisory added.

The agency stressed that the Bundibugyo Ebola strain currently has no approved vaccine or specific treatment, warning that available Ebola vaccines and monoclonal antibody therapies are mainly designed for the Zaire strain and may not provide adequate protection in the present outbreak.

It also clarified that Ebola is not airborne but spreads through direct contact with infected blood, body fluids, contaminated surfaces or infected animals.

The NCDC urged healthcare workers across the country to remain vigilant, noting that the disease often presents symptoms similar to malaria, Lassa fever and other febrile illnesses in its early stages.

“Health workers must not wait for bleeding before suspecting Ebola in any patient with compatible symptoms and relevant travel or exposure history,” the agency warned.

Symptoms listed by the agency include fever, fatigue, muscle pain, headache, vomiting, diarrhoea, abdominal pain, rash, hiccups, unexplained bleeding and signs of shock.

The NCDC further confirmed that its National Emergency Operations Centre had already been activated in alert mode to coordinate preparedness efforts nationwide, including surveillance, case management, infection prevention, sample handling and public risk communication.

State governments were also directed to ensure operational readiness in both public and private hospitals through effective contact tracing systems, functional isolation centres and adequate protection for healthcare workers.

The agency said it was collaborating with development partners and state authorities to strengthen the country’s emergency response framework and prevent any possible outbreak or community transmission.

It, however, cautioned that sustained vigilance, adequate funding and strict compliance with preparedness protocols would determine Nigeria’s ability to effectively contain any potential Ebola outbreak.